Organic Flor de Mayo

Grown by Hurricane Flats, VT
 
This gorgeous bean was grown on the banks of the White River in South Royalton, VT at Hurricane Flats Farm. The farm specializes in organic popping corn and grow vegetables for their farmstand and wholesale accounts. They put in a few acres of heirloom beans in 2023 and used Bean Crafters’ mobile plot thresher to thresh the beans. In addition to Swedish Brown, Soldier Beans, and Yellow Eyes, they grew this Flor de Mayo or ‘Mayflower’ bean. It was reportedly their highest yielding bean, which is pretty interesting for a variety without a long history of being grown this far north. This bean hails from Mesoamerica and cooks up really well in every dish you might use pintos or bolitas. The beans’ pretty patterning blushes out when cooked, and the beans make a nice, starchy pot liquor that can be blended with the beans for a rich refried bean.
 
Enrique Olvera is a celebrated chef that’s opened some landmark restaurants in Mexico and the United States centered on traditional Mexican cuisine including fresh-made stone-ground nixtamal tortillas and heirloom beans. Here is one of his recipes for Frijoles Puercos, which is well-suited for Flor de Mayo and other similar heirloom beans, as mentioned in the recipe narrative